


Save Stan

by softboystanley



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: M/M, bill is concerned, bring all your tissues, castle rock references, derry police are gonna be fuckin useless, if u dont like mike you can leave cause hes gonna be around a lot, no violence until later on, real sad bITCH hours, richie and eddie are already a thing, richie might be an asshole later on, so much blood, stan goes missing, tags might be updated but whos to say, this could be a copy of all those reddie fics like this but theyre are no stenbrough ones so, tw:blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-07-27 07:50:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16214678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softboystanley/pseuds/softboystanley
Summary: It was a perfectly normal day. Then again, that’s probably what everyone thought, right before their best friend went missing. Bill was going to get Stan back. Whatever it cost.





	1. A Perfectly Normal Day

**Author's Note:**

> oof my dudes this is a sad one chapters are gonna be short but updates are gonna be regular like every day or every other day
> 
> also theres gonna be a shit ton of castle rock/shawshank refernces so be prepared?

It was a perfectly normal day. Then again, that’s probably what everyone thought, right before their best friend went missing. They were just supposed to hang out and the quarry, like they have done every Saturday since they were all 13. 

 

Bill had ridden Silver to the quarry, as per usual. When he had arrived he found some of the losers already there. Richie and Eddie were sitting on the branch of a tree, talking. Bill saw Ben sitting on the ground, reading a book.  

 

“Hey guys.” Bill put his bike on the ground and walked over to his friends. 

 

“Hey yourself.” Said someone behind him. It was Bev. 

 

“Settle a debate that me a Eddie are having.” Richie said turning to the rest of the group. “Which first: milk or cereal.” 

 

“Cereal.” said Eddie. “If you do milk first then the cereal gets all soggy and stuff.” 

 

“Dude that’s when cereal is best.” Richie defended. 

 

“I can’t believe I’m dating a psychopath.” Eddie sighed. 

 

“Oh, spaghetti, you know you love me.” Richie flashed his signature smile. 

 

“You know I do.” 

 

A little while later Mike arrived, carrying a basket of chocolate chip cookies. 

 

“They’re from my grandmother. She made too many and insisted that I take some for you guys.”  

 

“Oh, wow, thanks Mike’s grandmother.” Richie said, hoping off the tree. 

 

A silence fell over the gang as Bill realized what was wrong with this picture. 

 

“Wait a minute. Where’s Stan?” Bill looked around. Stan was never late to anything, ever. Only once and it was because he saw a endangered bird perched on a branch.

 

“Huh, I don’t know. He’s probably running late or something.”  Eddie grabbed a cookie. 

 

“No, not Stan. He’s never late.” Bill insisted 

 

“Maybe he’s sick.” Ben offered. 

 

“He would have texted.” Richie responded. 

 

Bill hadn’t even thought to text Stan. “You’re brilliant, Richie!” Bill cried pulling out his phone. 

 

“I would hardly describe Richie as brilliant.” Eddie started. 

 

_ [Bill] Stan where are you????  _

_ [Bill] are you okay???? _

 

Now came the waiting. Every minute was agonizing for Bill. He was constantly checking the clock.  _ 1:35, 1:36, 1:37 _ . Why wasn’t he texting back? 

 

“Bill.” Bev put a hand on his. “He’s fine.” 

 

“Yeah, I know. It’s just..” Bill had really hoped he was going to see Stan today. Bill finally felt ready to tell Stan how he felt. 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Something was definitely wrong. It was now 11:32 at night and Stan still hadn’t responded. It was unlike him to go so long without checking his phone. Bill lay awake in his bed staring at the ceiling. His brain was racing with thoughts. 

 

_ Maybe he’s in the hospital. _

 

_ Maybe he’s ran away. _

 

_ Maybe he’s been kidnapped by some psycho and is being held somewhere. _

 

_ Maybe he’s dead. _

 

Dead. Bill almost threw up at the very thought. Maybe Stan really was just sick like Ben had said. If he were sick he wouldn’t have been checking his phone. He would be resting.  

 

Bill had decided that in the morning he would go visit Stan’s house. 

  
  
  



	2. We're Gonna Bring Him Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof this is so short im really sorry 
> 
> georgies real cute in this

“Hey, Mrs. Uris. Is Stan around?” Bill asked. He was standing on their front porch. It had been an entire day and Stan still hadn’t responded to his texts. 

 

“He’s not. I assumed he slept over at you or Richie’s house.” 

 

“Mrs. Uris, he never came to the quarry yesterday.” 

 

Her smile faltered. “But, he left. He told me he was going over.” 

 

Bill’s heart fell. He felt his body start to numb. Stan was gone. 

 

Bill met Mrs. Uris’s eyes. She looked scared. “I’m..I’m gonna call the police.” She closed the door in his face, leaving him standing alone. He heard her inside, sobbing. She heard him call Stan’s father. He couldn’t bare to listen.

 

Bill pulled out his phone to text the losers. 

  
  


_ [losers club]  _

 

_ [bill] emergency meeting  _

_ [bill] my house  _

_ [bill] asap  _

_ [mike] i dont know if i can get out of doing my chores  _

_ [bill] figure it out _

_ [bill] stans gone  _

 

About 10 minutes later, the losers club had assembled in Bill’s bedroom. 

 

“I went over to his house to see if he was sick, like Ben had said.” Bill gestured to Ben. “But Mrs. Uris said he left to meet us yesterday.” 

 

“He never showed…” Mike trailed off. 

 

“Oh fuck, you guys. I mean, what if he got kidnapped like the kid from last week. That Deaver kid. Details are the same. He goes out to meet his friends and then he never-” 

 

“Eddie stop!” Bill yelled. A silence fell over the room. Bill saw Richie take Eddie’s hand into his own. 

  
  


“Maybe he ran away.” Bev offered. 

 

“He wouldn’t. Stan would have told one of us. Richie, you’re his best friend did he say anything?” Bill looked hopefully into Richie’s eyes. 

 

“No, he never said anything like that.” Richie looked to the ground suspiciously, avoiding Bill’s gaze. 

 

“The last time we talked it was normal.” Ben remembered. 

 

“What are you guys talking about?” A small voice said from behind them. The club turned to see little Georgie Denbrough, standing in the doorway. 

 

“Oh.” Bev said quietly. 

 

“Georgie, go back to your room.” 

 

“Billy I’m not a kid. I’m 10 now. You can tell me.” Georgie pleaded. 

 

Bill sighed. “Come here. This is important, but it’s also scary, okay? It’s okay to be scared. We all are.” 

 

Bill looked around at his little losers club. He saw Richie, holding Eddie in his arms, as if to protect him from whatever got Stan. He saw Ben and Bev looking at each other. He saw Mike, looking past Bill, to a photo on the wall. It was a polaroid photo of the whole gang on Bill’s 15th birthday. He looked to Georgie who was sitting in front of him, expectantly. 

 

“S-Stan’s gone.” Bill’s voice shook. “We don’t know where he went. But we’re gonna look for him okay?” A single tear rolled down Bill’s face as he looked around at his friends. “We’re gonna bring him home.” 


	3. For Stan’s Sake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof y’all these are so short I’m so sorry

“Alright, here’s how it’s gonna go.” Bill said putting a map of Derry on the table. “We seperate into groups of two and canvass the whole town. We’re asking anyone if they’ve seen him. We’re looking for places he would go. A bird watching spot, a bookstore, anything. Bev and Ben, you guys go downtown. Richie and Eddie you guys go down to over the the quarry and the barrens, look for a place Stan would’ve watched the birds. Mike and I will go down to the back roads.”

 

The back roads was the sketchy part of town. It was mainly populated by criminals and drug addicts. Looming over it all was Shawshank, the abandoned prison from the sixties. 

 

“What about me?” a small voice asked. It was Georgie. 

 

“Georgie, you can’t come.” Bill sighed. “It’s too dangerous.” 

 

“Not in the woods.” Georgie argued. “I can go with Richie and Eddie, Billy. Please. I just want to help.” 

 

“Yeah you can go with them, right guys?” Bill looked for approval from Richie and Eddie. 

 

“Of course.” Eddie said softly. 

 

Silence fell over the group as they each went a different way. Mike and Bill biked down to the back roads. Bill hoped Georgie would be safe. Richie and Eddie would take care of him. ‘I just wanna help.’ he had said. 

 

Bill let his memories of Stan flood his mind. Stan's beautiful face invaded every one of his thoughts. His perfect hair, his beautiful smile, his caring ways. Stan was the glue of the losers club. Sure, Bill was their leader but Stan, Stan brought them together. He was the peacemaker. 

  
  


“Bill.” Mike stopped his bike. “We’re here.” 

 

Bill looked around. It seemed that the landscape had become darker, much more sinister. He saw Shawshank, in all it’s horrifying glory. It towered over the small section of Derry that bordered Castle Rock. At just the sight of it, shivers went up Bill’s spine. 

 

They went to every person walking through the street and ask if they had seen Stan, showing them a photo of Stan and Georgie. Most of the drug addicts didn’t even know what year it is. Both Mike and Bill avoided the criminal looking people. Neither of them wanted to end up like..

 

“Oh shit! Mike!” Bill yelled as he knelt to the ground. He saw the glare of a cell phone in the grass. 

 

“Is that Stan’s phone?” 

 

Bill picked it up. It turned on. Bill saw his own texts and some from the others. 

 

_ [Four New Messages From: richie]  _

_ [richie] staniel  _

_ [richie] stanney  _

_ [richie] stan  _

_ [richie] stanley where are you  _

 

_ [Three New Messages From: eddie]  _

_ [eddie] stan are you okay  _

_ [eddie] you didn’t show today  _

_ [eddie] are you sick? _

 

_ [One New Message From: ben]  _

 

_ [ben] stan bills really worried bout u  _

 

_ [Four New Messages from: mike]  _

 

_ [mike] stan we missed you at the quarry today  _

_ [mike] my grandmother made cookies  _

_ [mike] theres some left if you wanna come over and have some  _

_ [mike] stan?  _

 

_ [Two New Messages From: bev]  _

 

_ [bev] stanny boi bill realllly missed you ;)  _

_ [bev] stan?  _

 

Bill wanted to throw up. He couldn’t have run away. He would need his phone. That meant someone, somewhere had Stan. 

 

“Fuck, Mike.” Bill felt the tears well in his eyes. “He’s...He’s…” Bill couldn’t get the words out. He was choking on his own tears. 

 

“Hey, hey, hey.” Mike said, hugging Bill. “You said it yourself. We’re gonna bring him home.” 

 

“But Mike, what if we don’t? What if we can’t? What happens then? He dies?” Bill sobbed onto Mike. 

 

“Bill, you gotta stop, okay? The moment you let all those thoughts catch up with you is the moment you’ll give up looking for Stan. And he needs you. Now more than ever.” Mike held Bill in his arms protectively.

 

“I love him Mike. I love him so fucking much.” Bill cried. 

 

“I know.” 

 

“I guess we should go back now.” Bill sighed, wiping tears from his face. 

 

“Bill, you gotta promise me you’re gonna look after yourself. For Stan’s sake.” 

 

Bill was silent for a moment. “For Stan’s sake.” 


	4. What Clown?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof fam everyone is kind of an asshole except for mike cause hes pure 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> and richie does know something

It had been an entire week since any of the losers club had heard from Stan. Each of them had sat down with the police. Each gave the same story. He was supposed to meet them but then he never showed. Bill told no one about Stan's phone, not even the losers. Derry Police did absolutely nothing, pure fucking usual. Bill had realized that it was up to him to save Stan. 

 

It had been days since Bill slept and it showed. He had dark circles under his eyes. He could barely keep his eyes open sometimes. But he had to keep fighting. Mike’s words rattled in Bill’s head.  _ For Stan’s sake.  _

 

“We should look again.” Bill said turning to his losers club. “We’ll switch sections. I’ll go downtown. Eddie and Richie you guys go to the back roads. Bev and Ben head to the woo-” 

 

“Bill!” Richie yelled, startling Bill. “You’ve gotta stop. You’re clearly not well. Get some sleep, we can do this tomorrow-”

 

“Are you saying we should stop looking for him?” Bill defended. 

 

Bill felt Mike touch his arm. “Just sleep, okay?” Mike pleaded. 

 

“Stan is out there! He could be hurt! And you guys want me to go to sleep!” 

 

“Bill-” Eddie started. 

 

“You don’t know that! You don’t even know if he’s fucking alive, Bill!” Richie yelled. “That fucking clown probably got him!” 

 

Everyone stopped. “Richie, what clown?” Eddie asked softly. 

 

“It’s nothing.” Richie looked to the floor. 

 

“Richie. What fucking clown?!” Bill practically screamed. 

 

“The last time we hung out he said that he felt like he was being watched. He said he saw a clown following him.” 

 

“And you wait to tell us until now!” Bill was furious. “Do you fucking even care about bringing him home or was that a lie too!”

 

“For fuck’s sake, he’s my best friend Bill! Of course I care!” Richie argued. 

 

“Then fucking act like it!” 

 

“Bill! Jesus Christ!” Bev screamed. “Leave him alone!” 

 

“You too, Bev? How many of you are giving up?” 

 

Ben sighed. “Bill, we’re all trying really har-” 

 

“Don’t give me that shit. You’re in or you’re out.” Bill huffed. 

 

“I’m sorry.” Ben walked out. 

 

Bev grabbed her coat. “Please, Bill. Get some sleep.” 

 

Richie stormed out of the room, following Bev. Eddie got up to leave. 

 

“Really Eddie? You too?” Bill gave up his angry defense. He knew when he was defeated. 

 

“Christ, Bill! You can’t make me choose okay? I love you, but I love Richie too. I’m going home. If you need help searching just text me.” 

 

“Bill. You need some sleep.” Mike said. 

 

“You’re gonna go too?” 

 

“I never said that. I just said you need some rest. I’m gonna stay right here okay?” 

Bill sat on the bed next to Mike and the moment his head hit the pillow he was asleep, dreaming of Stan. 

 


	5. Time to Float

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof boios strap in for some sadness and angst   
> oh and if anyone like doesn't like blood or it triggers them in any way be warned theres a little bit of blood talk.   
>  
> 
> please tell me if you get my castle rock reference i would be so happy

“I’m gonna go to the quarry.” Stan said grabbing his phone off the table. “I’ll be back later.” 

 

“Alright sweetie.” His mother called. 

 

Stan walked outside to meet a cool crisp autumn day. The perfect day to just hang out at the quarry. He left his bike in the garage, instead choosing to walk. He decided he would cut through the back roads to shorten the walk. 

 

He pulled out his earbuds and opened up Spotify. He looked at the leaves and the birds as he walked. He saw some cardinals and a few sparrows. 

 

As he crossed over into the back roads he felt the temperature drop. He saw the sun disappear behind the clouds. It was as if Stan had entered a horror movie. As he walked past Shawshank, he sensed that someone was watching him. He looked toward the front steps of the penitentiary and saw a clown standing there, holding a red balloon. 

 

Every part of Stan’s body went cold. It was back. It had been following him all week, silently stalking his every move. He saw it wave at him. But not an excited wave one would give to a friend, no, a slow creepy wave. It sent shivers up Stan’s spine. He did the only thing he could think to do.  _ Run _ . 

 

He ran as if his life depended on it because, in a way, it did. He heard it’s steps behind him. He heard it’s cackling laugh, taunting him. He pulled out his phone as he ran and hastily typed up a message to the only person he could think of, Bill. 

 

_ [New Message To: bill]  _

 

_ [stan] please bill i need help its gonna get me please  _

 

But he never got the chance to hit send as his legs fell out beneath him. He hit the ground, hard. Stan’s phone flew out of his hand. He felt his forehead begin to bleed. His vision went blurry. As he regained his sense of movement he saw the clown approach him. It said nothing as it grabbed Stan’s leg, dragging him back to Shawshank. 

 

“Bill!” he screamed. “Bill! Please! Save me!” 

 

Stan got more tired with every passing second. Most likely on the account he hit his head hard on the pavement. He looked behind him to see a trail of blood leading behind him. The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was: 

 

“Time to float.” 

  
  


\-------------------------------------------------------

 

Stan awoke sometime later lying in one of the cells inside of Shawshank. He was cold and wet. He held his finger to his forehead and it came away bloody. There was dried blood underneath his nose. Stan saw that the door to the cell was locked with a heavy duty padlock. 

 

_ Time to Float.  _

 

The clown’s words echoed in his mind. He stood up to look around. The cell was small. All it contain was a bed, with no mattress or pillow, and a toilet that looked like it had been around since world war one. He looked outside the cell through the barred window. He was facing the the road on the front part of Shawshank. Stan turned to look at the rest of the cell block only to see the clown standing there,staring.

 

Stan jumped back. “Who are you? What do you want?” 

 

The clown just stared at him, emotionless. 

 

“I’m not afraid of you!” Stan screamed. 

 

The clown titled his head at Stan. It stepped to the left and grabbed a tray. He unlocked the padlock and Stan thought about making a break for it. The clown placed the tray on the ground and closed the padlock before Stan could even move. 

 

“What the fuck is this?” Stan asked. 

 

The clown walked away. Stan ran to the cell door and called after the clown. “My friends are gonna find me, asshole! They’re gonna save me!” 

 

Stan turned around and investigated the tray. On it was a buttered roll and two shot glass filled with what looked like water. 

 

“Don’t trust the water.” Stan mumbled to himself. “It’s probably drugged.” 

 

Stan pulled apart the bread looking for any signs of contamination. When he saw none he breathed a sigh of relief before shoving the bread in his mouth. It only then occurred to him how hungry he really was. Far away he heard a news broadcast:

  
  


“This just in, fifteen year old, Stanley Uris of Derry, has been reported missing. His mother says that he left to meet his friends and when he never showed up the next day, she called the police. Police Chief, Greg Rogers has determined that this case is linked to the disappearance of thirteen year old Wendell Deaver. Their kidnapper is assumedly armed and dangerous. This is a developing story so check in for updates.”

 

Wendell Deaver. Stan had remembered hearing his name on the news a few times. He was from Castle Rock, which bordered Derry.  _ Maybe he was still alive. _ Stan thought. 

 

He ran over to the wall. He began pounding on the wall. 

 

“Wendell!” He kept yelling as he hit the wall with so much force it caused his knuckles to bleed. After about 2 minutes of yelling and slamming his fists into the wall, Stan sat down on the bed. He put his head in his hands and just cried. He cried about everything. He cried because his knuckles hurt and he cried because he could be dead soon. He cried over the thought of never seeing the losers club again. He cried over all of them. He cried over Ben and Bev and Mike and Eddie and Richie and Bill. He especially cried over Bill. He knew that Bill was going to beat himself up over this, because Stan knew Bill. Stan knew the he would destroy himself over searching for Stan. Stan knew that Bill was going to become intolerable to the other losers, he was going to yell and scream and call people names. Stan just hoped that the losers would bare through it, for his sake. 

 


	6. Get My Boy Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof y’all were getting to the end

_ “Stanley..” Bill breathed out. He saw Stan standing in front of him. The were in a black void. Bill lunged forward and clung to Stan.  _

 

_ “Oh my God, Stan. I missed you so much.” Bill felt a tear roll down his cheek.  _

 

_ “Why didn’t you do more?” Stan asked in an emotionless voice. Bill then realized Stan wasn’t hugging him back.  _

 

_ “Stan, what…” Bill backed away.  _

 

_ He saw Stan’s face change from his beautiful golden skin to a gross decomposed mess.  _

 

_ “Why didn’t you do more?” Stan asked again, his voice hoarse. _

 

_ “Stan, what are you talking about?”  _

 

_ Stan’s face changed again, back to his normal perfect skin. Bill saw tears in Stan’s eyes and a large cut on his forehead. Stan’s knuckles appeared bruised and bloody, as if he had been in a fight, and underneath his nose there was dried blood. Stan’s lips were cracked and bleeding.  _

 

_ “Why didn’t you do more to save me?”  _

  
  


Bill awoke from his dream in a snap. Sweat was dripping down his forehead. 

 

“Bill are you okay?” Mike said. He was sitting next to Bill’s bed in a bean bag chair. “I heard you talking in your sleep.” 

 

“I was sleep talking?” Bill asked, still disoriented from the dream. 

 

“Were you having a dream about Stan?” Mike asked gently. 

 

“Yeah. He was there… and then he…he…” Bill trailed off as he looked to his nightstand. On it was Stan’s phone. 

 

Bill grabbed the phone and opened it up. Of course there was a passcode but Bill knew it. 7/13/03, Stan’s birthday. The phone opened to the messages app and displayed the last text Stan  _ almost  _ sent. 

 

Bill’s mouth hung open. “Bill? What is it?” 

 

“Mike, call everyone. Now.” 

 

Mike and Bill wasted no time setting up an emergency meeting of the losers club. Reluctantly, Richie showed up. 

 

“Listen, Richie, I’m sorry.” Bill said. “I was stressed and angry and I- I was missing Stan.” 

 

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have kept the clown thing a secret. I just felt like it was my fault. When he told me about it I just nodded I didn't do anything.” Richie sighed. Bill swore he saw a tear form in Richie’s eye. 

 

“Rich, It’s nobody fault except for this fucking clown.” Bill reassured him. 

 

Once the whole club had arrived Bill began. 

 

“Guys. I’m really sorry I yelled. It was stupid and I’m stressed and I’m not trying to make excuses-” 

 

“Bill.” Ben said. “It’s okay, we get it.” 

 

Bill smiled. His face fell when he remembered when why he had called them all here. 

 

“So, last week, Mike and I found Stan’s phone out in front of Shawshank. I opened it up this morning and found an..an..an” Bill stuttered as he remembered what Stan’s text meant. 

 

“An unsent text.” Mike finished. “It said ‘Bill please I need help it’s gonna get me please.” 

 

Bill almost threw up just hearing the text. 

 

He saw the rest of his friends sad faces. He saw Richie sigh and Bill genuinely thought he was going to cry. 

 

“Alright, the big question is who is ‘it’?” Eddie asked. 

 

“Could it be the clown that Richie was talking about?” Ben suggested. 

 

“Where did you say you found it?” asked Bev. 

 

“We found over near Shawshank-“ Bill started. 

 

“Shawshank? Like the old prison turned crack house?” Richie jumped up. 

 

“Yeah, why’s tha-“ 

 

“I KNOW WHERE HE IS!!!” Richie yelled. He ran up and grabbed his coat. 

 

“Richie where are you going??” Eddie asked, as the rest of the losers jumped up to follow him. 

 

“Shawshank, that’s where he is.” Richie said as he ran through Bill’s house 

 

“How do you know?” Bev asked, following behind Ben. 

 

“He said he always so the clown on his walks to the quarry. He said he was outside of Shawshank all the time.” Richie explained as he hopped in his car, motioning for the losers to follow him. 

 

“Well, let’s go get our boy back.” Mike said to Bill. 

 

“Yeah, lets get my boy back.” Bill smiled. 

 

“Woah woah, did you say ‘ _ my _ boy’?” 

 

“No, I said our. Like you.” 

 

“Sure.” Mike smiled.


	7. The Losers Club Was Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y’all sorry this is super short but we’re getting down to the grand finale

Stan wanted to go home. He wanted to go to his nice warm bed with a mattress and pillows. He wanted to go to his friends and joke around. He wanted to have foods that weren’t bread and butter, like mac and cheese and sushi. 

 

After what Stan believed to be the second day of his being here, he had stopped calling for Wendell. He assumed that Wendell was either dead or had given up. Stan hadn’t given up. Not then at least. 

 

He gave up a day later. He was in his cell when he heard yelling outside. He lifted himself up to look outside of the barred window. Outside he saw Mike and Bill. His spirits lifted when he saw them.  _ They were coming to save him.  _

 

“Bill!! Mike!!! Bill please!! I’m up here.” Stan screamed at the top of his lungs. “Guys!! I’m here!! I’m right here!!” 

 

He saw Bill kneel down and pick up Stan’s phone that he lost when he was kidnapped. He saw Mike hug Bill. They stayed like for a few moments before leaving. He saw Bill hope on silver and bike away with Mike in tow. 

 

“Bill!! Wait!! Where are you going!! I’m right here!! Mike!!! Bill!!” Stan yelled. 

 

_ Why were they leaving? He was right here.  _

 

After that Stan gave up all hope. He never saw them again. No one ever came by. The clown only came by once every two days to give him food and water. Stan was in complete isolation. He wondered what the losers were up to. Maybe they were at the quarry, talking about the latest memes and movies. Maybe they were at Bill’s house playing go fish with Georgie. He missed all his friends. He missed Ben and Bev. He missed Richie and Eddie. He missed Mike and Georgie. And of course he missed Bill. Kind, wise Bill who knew exactly what to do all the time. He thought of Mike and Bill’s hug. It had seemed normal at the time but the more he thought about it it seemed different. It was long for one thing. And as they were hugging Stan swore he heard them say something about love. What if he had been gone for so long that Bill had begun dating Mike? Everything was out of order. 

 

He missed the order his life had. All it had now was one question.  _ Was He Gonna Die?  _

 

Stan lived his new life in fear. Fear of death. Fear of isolation. Fear of this clown. Fear of being forgotten. The thought invaded his head every now and then.  _ What if they forgot about you?  _ What if they don’t care that Stan was gone. Did they even notice? Maybe they rejoiced at the news that Stan was gone. Stan wouldn’t know. He was trapped in this cell by himself living his new life in fear. 

 

“We’re coming Stan! Hold on!” Stan heard someone yell distantly. He hoisted himself up to see out his window. What he saw before him was a miracle. A smile grew on his face. 

 

_ The Losers Club was here.  _


	8. Hey Stan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> huge trigger warning for this chapter: so much blood, lordy

 

Richie drove to Shawshank as if he were Vin Diesel in a Fast and Furious movie. Bill was in the back holding on for dear life. They were on their way to Shawshank to rescue Stan. Richie tokyo-drifted his car into a parking spot and scrambled out of the vehicle.  

 

“We’re coming Stan! Hold on!” Richie yelled as he ran through the gates. 

 

“Rich, wait.” Eddie had just gotten out of the car. “We have to go together. Safety in numbers.” 

 

The losers club moved as a unit through the front gate. The inside of Shawshank was exactly what Bill had expected. It smelled like decay and dog shit. There was graffiti everywhere. One was signed by Richie, obviously it was a dick. The walls were lined with cells until it hit a wall, separating each cell block. 

 

“Stan?” Eddie called, hoping for any kind of response. 

 

“Stanley!” Richie yelled, his voice echoing. 

 

They moved through the cell block, searching for any sign of Stan. 

 

“Oh fuck. Oh shit. Oh god. Oh fuck!” Eddie screeched from the bottom row of cells. 

 

“Eds, are you okay?” Richie asked, practically throwing himself over the side of the railing to check on his boyfriend. 

 

In a matter of seconds the group had scrambled all the way down to where Eddie was. He was standing in front of a cell with his eyes wide, as if he had seen a ghost. Richie ran over with Bill close behind. 

 

“Oh Fuck!” Richie yelled, seeing what was in the cell. 

 

Lying on the floor, was a body. 

 

“Is..is it…?” Ben asked. He and Bev were standing away from the cell, so they couldn’t see the body. 

 

“No.” Bill replied. “But it is that kid from Castle Rock. Wendell Deaver.” 

 

Blood had pooled on the bottom of the cell. The body was face down and the losers could clearly see a rather large gash on the back of Wendell’s head. 

 

“I think I’m gonna vomit.” Eddie said, backing himself into Richie’s arms. 

 

“What should we do? Bill?” Bev and the rest of the club looked to Bill expectantly, he was their leader after all. 

 

“Bev and Ben. You two stay here. Call the police and wait for them to get here. The rest of us will go on looking for Stan.” 

 

Bill, Mike, Eddie and Richie swung open the door leading into the next cell block. 

 

“Stanley!” Eddie called. 

 

“Stan, are you here?!” Mike’s voice boomed through the cell. 

 

“Guys?” a small voice asked. 

 

“Stanley, it’s us.” Bill responded back. 

 

“I’m up here.”

 

Bill and the rest wasted no time running up the stairs. Bill felt as if some strength had been awaken in him as he climbed up seven flights of stairs in a matter of seconds. He sprinted down the line, looking in every cell until he found Stan. 

 

Stan’s cell was small. Along one side of the wall there were small dents that had blood smeared on the side. Bill saw Stan sitting in one of the corners of the cell. He had blood across his forehead and small strands of it in his hair. He looked frail, as if he hadn’t eaten in days. His knuckles were bruised. He had dark circles under his eyes and bruises on his knees. 

 

“Stan! Oh God, I missed you so much.” Bill tried to open the door but it was locked shut. 

 

“Bill…” Stan started. 

 

“Richie! Find something to break this lock with!” Bill called. 

 

“On it!” 

 

“Bill…please…” Stan’s voice cracked. 

 

“Stan, it’s okay. We’re gonna get you out.” 

 

“Bill..I don’t know if he’s still here.” Stan looked around, paranoid. 

 

“Stan, look at me. It’s gonna be okay. The cops are on their way. Richie’s gonna find something to break this lock. We’re gonna get you out of here.” 

 

“I got something!” Richie came running holding a crowbar, with Eddie and Mike in tow. 

 

“Mike, can you break the lock?” 

 

“I can try.” Mike gripped the crowbar and pulled against the lock with all his might. 

 

The lock shattered and the door creaked open. Bill rushed into the room and grabbed Stan in his arms. He heard Ben and Bev talking to the cops distantly. He felt Stan cry into his shirt. He felt Stan’s arms cling to him tight. He heard Stan sob into him. 

 

“I was so scared, Bill.” Stan cried. “I saw you here and then you left.” 

 

“Baby.” Bill didn’t even realize he said it until the words left his mouth. He decided to run with it. “I’m so sorry I left you here. I’m sorry I let you down. I’m sorry.” 

 

“There was another boy….Wendell Deaver.” Stan sobbed harder. 

 

“We found him.” Bill heard the police enter the cell block. 

 

“We’re up here!” Eddie called to the cops. “He’s safe, we have him!” 

 

“Boys, come down here, carefully please.” 

 

Bill picked up Stan, who was still sobbing, and carried him down the stairs bridal style. 

 

The next few hours were a flash. Stan was put in an ambulance and rushed to a hospital. Both of his parents were called. His mother went to the hospital, whilst Stan’s father came by the prison and picked up the club. They went to the hospital and waited for what felt like ages. Stan’s mother and father came out to give them an update. 

 

Bill stood abruptly. “How is he?” 

 

“He’s asleep right now. They said he was malnourished and dehydrated. Other than that he’s doing well.” Stan’s mother smiled 

 

“We want to thank you for finding him. Really.” Stan’s father shook Bill’s hand. 

 

“It’s no problem, sir. We wanted him back as much you.”

 

“You guys can go in and see him soon.” 

 

The rest of the losers club went home to sleep but Bill stayed. Stan’s parents let him go in Stan’s hospital room.

 

“Bill.” Stan croaked, his voice hoarse from crying. 

 

“Hey Stan.” Bill smiled as he grabbed Stan’s hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter left.....


	9. Please Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH ITS OVER 
> 
> im so sad that its over now but its been super fun to write this, thanks for all the support!
> 
>  
> 
> r.i.p wendell deaver

_ Stan was back in his cell. Outside of the window he saw nothing but black.  _

 

_ “Bill?” Stan called out.  _

 

_ “No one can save you.” The clown appeared in the doorway. “Not Bill. Not anyone.”  _

 

_ “Bill, will find me.” Stan argued. “He found me once, he’ll do it again.”  _

 

_ “Bill’s preoccupied.”  _

 

_ Stan saw Mike and Bill sitting in Bill’s room, on Bill’s bed. They were laughing together. Bill’s preoccupied.  _

 

Stan shot out of bed, he was panting and sweat covered his forehead. He pulled out his phone to text Bill to come over.  _ Bill’s preoccupied. Bill’s preoccupied.  _ The clowns haunted words moved throughout his head. 

 

_ [stan] can u come over please _

_ [bill] omw  _

 

Stan tried to breath. He really did. His thoughts got the best of him as he sat on the ground awaiting the familiar sound of the rocks on his window. He began to think about his cell, and the bread and butter, and clowns. Stan could barely breathe anymore. He heard his window creak open.

 

“Jesus Christ, Stan!”  Bill rushed to his side. He grabbed Stan’s hand. “What’s wrong?”  

 

“He’s gonna get me, Bill.” Stan barely breathed out. “He’s gonna get me and take me back to Shawshank.” 

 

“Stan, he’s gone. The police got him, he’s in jail.” Bill tried to reason with him. “Just breathe, okay? Deep breaths.” 

 

Stan, following Bill’s instructions breathed in and out, slowing regaining his emotions. Bill sat next to him, his hand still intertwined with Stan’s. 

 

“I’m sorry if I woke you up.” Stan looked at Bill. 

 

“I wasn't asleep. I really haven’t been sleeping much lately. Not since…” Bill trailed off, not wanting to trigger Stan’s PTSD. 

 

“I haven’t been able to sleep much either.” 

 

Stan had gotten out of the hospital a week ago. There was a huge welcome home party organized by the losers. Georgie was there and gave Stan a hug and followed him around all night. They played games and had cake, it was the perfect night. Until the party died down and they all went home. Stan stayed alone in his room. He sat, not on his bed, but in the corner of his room. He pulled his knees to his chest and just cried. He knew that his captor was behind bars for life but he still couldn’t shake the feeling. The feeling of fear. 

 

He had seen Wendell’s father at Shawshank, while he was getting his statement taken by the police. Mr. Deaver was talking to a police officer before he broke down crying. Stan had only caught a glimpse of Wendell’s body. While he was held in Bill’s arms, over his shoulder, Stan could clearly see Wendell’s body. Maybe, in another life they could have been friends. Maybe, in another life that could have been Stan. 

 

“Why did he do it, Bill? Why did he take me?” Stan cried onto Bill’s shoulder. 

 

“I don’t know. And the truth is we may never know.” Bill patted Stan’s shoulder and brought him in for a hug. They stayed like that, hand in hand for a few minutes. As they pulled apart and Bill brought Stan over to his bed, Stan asked the question which had been on his mind for a week. 

 

“So, you and Mike, huh?” 

 

“What?” Bill almost stepped back. 

 

“You and Mike. I saw the two of you, when you got my phone. I think it’s cute.” Stan lied through his teeth. He didn’t think it was cute, actually he was quite jealous. 

 

“You saw a hug. Just a hug.” Bill said with an awkward smile on his face. 

 

“But I saw you say something about love.” Stan sat on the side of his bed. 

 

Bill’s face reddened. “Actually. That...was about you.” Bill looked at Stan sheepishly. “Having you gone made me realize some things.” 

 

Stan was silent. He wanted to break the tension but he didn’t know how. 

 

“Do you want me to leave?” 

 

“No.” Stan looked at Bill. “Please Stay.” 

 

Both boys sat on Stan’s bed, neither one saying something. 

 

“I...I really like you Bill.” Stan said after a few minutes. 

 

“I really like you too, Stan.” Bill blushed and Stan thought he was going to collapse right then and there. Stan was in love. 

 

“Do you think you could stay over? I don’t want to be alone right now.” 

 

“Of course.” 

 

Bill got up and pulled a blanket from Stan’s closet, preparing to sleep on the ground. 

 

“Actually… Could you sleep up here?”

 

Bill looked caught off -guard. “I-I-I...uh...I mea-n-n..y-y-yeah.” Bill stuttered, which he only did when he was nervous. 

 

Stan lied down on the bed and Bill lied next to him. They were so close Stan could hear Bill breathe. 

 

“Good night, Stan.” 

  
  


“Good night, Bill.” Stan took a chance. “I love you.” 

 

“I love you, too. More than anything.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback is always appreciated

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always appreciated!


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